Blast terror on Brereton Drive

HOUSEHOLDERS told of their shock today after the blast rocked their tree-lined cul-de-sac. As the 19-year-old son of one of their neighbours continued to be interviewed by detectives, they said there had never been a hint of trouble from the suspect's respectable family.

HOUSEHOLDERS told of their shock today after the blast rocked their tree-lined cul-de-sac.

As the 19-year-old son of one of their neighbours continued to be interviewed by detectives, they said there had never been a hint of trouble from the suspect's respectable family.

Then, what police described as a "home-made device" suddenly went up in the garage of the four-bed semi on Brereton Drive in an affluent area of Worsley.

When police uncovered more explosives at the scene, they evacuated the area and householders were put up in Worsley Park Marriott Hotel.

The police investigation into the experiments in the middle of suburbia was continuing today, although officers were quick to point out that terrorism was not suspected.

Guard

Those evacuated were allowed back into their homes just before 6am. At the scene today, the driveway of the house was taped off as scene-of-crime officers combed the area for clues. A uniformed officer stood guard at the property.

One local resident, who declined to be named, said: "I heard a big explosion - a big bang. It sounded like a huge firework and I could see smoke coming from a corrugated iron roof of the garage."

The neighbours were evacuated twice - once at about 9 last night and for a second time at 5am today.

Police told some neighbours that they were being evacuated because officers searching the house had found "one or two items we are not quite happy with".

Neighbours insisted that the family who live there had never been any trouble.

One said: "We always say hello to them and they seem like perfectly good people. There's never been a hint of a problem with them and their lad is not the sort of lad who goes around causing trouble."